Shri Vile Parle Kelvani Mandal’s Mithibai College of Arts, Chauhan
Institute of Science and A. J. College of Commerce and Economics was
established in 1961. The Department of Microbiology was founded in 1979
and was headed by Prof. Mrs. V. C. Sharma.
The department
admits students at the F.Y.B.Sc. after the H.S.C. or equivalent
examinations. The subject of Microbiology is taught only at the Degree
level. The post graduate department was started in the year 1988.
Presently,
there are seven teachers actively participating in undergraduate and
post-graduate teaching. The department is actively involved in research.
In the year 1997 the University of Mumbai recognized the Department of
Microbiology as a centre for post-graduate research in Microbiology. The
progress of the department continued every year and currently it is one
of the few departments affiliated to the University of Mumbai which are
recognized for the Doctoral programme in Microbiology. The University
of Mumbai recognized the department as a centre for Ph. D ( Doctoral
Programme) degree in Microbiology in the year 2002.
The
Department has a library for students. This library has the requisite
text books as well as the reference books needed as per the prescribed
syllabi.
The departmental staff is involved in admission
procedure, administrative activities, cultural, extra curricular or
co-curricular activities. The Department of Microbiology regularly
conducts exhibitions based on various significant and relevant themes.
The
teaching staff of the Department of Microbiology has been involved in
the framing of Syllabi at both under-graduate and post-graduate level.
Not only does the Department conduct workshops related to curriculum
development but the staff are also invited as resource persons at
similar workshops.
Student Activities
Outreach activity
An exhibition, “The Unseen Fascination: The World of Microbes”, was held on 5th January, 2018. 170 students of standards 9 and 10 from several schools in the vicinity participated in the activity.
Guest lectures
1.By Dr. Aparna Khanna, Dean, Sunandan Divatia School of Science, on “Stem Cells”on 6th January, 2018. 115 students of undergraduate and postgraduate classes attended the same.
2.By Dr. Narendra Chirmule, Senior Vice President, Head of Research and Development, Biocon, India on ‘NEW AND CHANGING TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY’ held on 9th February, 2018. 110 students of undergraduate classes attended the same
3.By Ms. Anuradha Maheshwari, Founding Partner, LEX MANTIS, on “Intellectual Property Studies” held on 7th August, 2018 for 30 students of the T.Y.B.Sc. class.
4.By Dr. Roshni Thakker, University of Tennessee Medical Centre, Knoxville,TN USA on “Neurobiology” held on 21st August, 2018 for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Microbiology. Almost 90 students attended the talk.
Workshops
By Dr. Narendra Chirmule, Senior Vice President, Head of Research and Development, Biocon, India on the Process for the Development of New Molecules held on 9th February, 2018.
Faculty Activities
A faculty development workshop on ‘Active and Engaged Learning’ by Ms. Manjeet Sahmbey, Faculty, Hansraj Jivandas College of Education was held on 28th August, 2018. 30 faculty members from the Science faculty participated in the workshop.
Microbes matter because they affect every aspect of our lives - in us,
on us and around us. Microbiology is a cutting edge science that helps
lay down the foundations of many other developing areas of biology, such
as
- Genetic Engineering
- Molecular biology
- Biotechnology
- Immunology
- Synthetic biology
Microbiology-related
careers are, therefore, found in a diverse range of employment sectors.
The need for qualified microbiologists continues to grow, both for
basic research and practical applications. The career opportunities to
choose from as a microbiologist are wide-ranging both in their reach and
their impact. Employers value the scientific, analytical and
problem-solving skills developed by microbiology graduates.
A microbiologist can fit into any field including-
- Biopharmaceuticals- in research and development as well as in quality assurance/ quality control
- Diagnostics - Health Care
- Food and beverage manufacturing
- Textiles and leather production
- Environmental monitoring and in effluent treatment plants
- Agriculture and crop health
Many
microbiologists also diversify into fields such as biotechnology
management, hospital management, intellectual property management, and
scientific writing. Besides this, one can pursue higher studies such as a
PhD programme or post-doctoral studies.